Henry belfield



H. BELFIE'LD.

Alarm Bell. No. 23,639. Patented April 12,1859.

M Y w UNITE STATES PilENT OFFICE.

HENRY BELFIELD, OF PHILADELPHIA, I'IQNXSYI'AKXNLX, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND JUSTICE COX, OF SAME I'IJAGI].

HANGING BELL.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 28,689, dated April 12, 1859.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY BELriELD, of the city and county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Alarm-Bells; and I do hereby declare the following to be a. full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

My invention relates to improvements in the construction of alarm bells used on railroad passenger cars, steamboats, and in hotels for transmitting signals; and my improvement consists in a lever with a spring dog, in combination with a bell. crank lever and hammer, both levers having springs independent of each other, and being arranged substantially in the manner described here after.

My improvements further consist in a frame or bracket with a projection for holding the bell, and four legs, peculiarly arranged in respect to the above mentioned levers, as hereinafter set forth.

The object of my invention is the construction of a durable alarm bell, simple in its construction and certain in its operation.

In order to enable others to make and use my invention, I will now proceed to describe its construction and operation.

On reference to the accompanying drawing, which forms a part of this specification; Figure 1, is a side view of my improved alarm bell, with part of the bell broken away, to illustrate the arrangement of the interior. Fig. 2, a sectional view of Fig. 1. Fig. 3, a sectional view of Fig. 1 inverted. Fig. 4-, the same, with the operating parts in a different position to that illustrated in Fig. 3. Fig. 5, a perspective view of the frame.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

A is a metal plate, to which is riveted or otherwise secured the metal frame on bracket B, the latter having a projection b, which passes through the central hub a of the bell C, and which is furnished with a nutc, by which the bell is attached rigidly to the bracket B. Two pins D and E are secured one end of each to the plate A and the other end to the bracket B. To the pin E is hung the bell crank lever F, and to the pin D the lever Gr. To the end of the long arm of the latter is attached the wire or cord, by means of which the bell is rung, and to the short arm is hung a dog or catch 71, which. by means of a spiral or other suitable spring 6 is retained in the position shown in Fig. 3, when not depressed by the movements described hereafter.

It will be seen, on reference to Fig. at, that the frame or bracket B has four legs 1, 2, 3 and 4:, each of which is riveted to the plate A. The lever G passes between and is limited in its movement by the legs 1 and 2; and the spiral spring f, which is coiled around the hub g of the lever G has one end of the wire,

of which it is composed catching on the leg 1, the other end of the wire passing through the end of the short arm of the lever G and through the dog 7L, thus serving to hang the latter to the former. The tendency of the spiral spring f is to maintain the arm G in the position shown in Fig. 4: that is, resting against the leg 2 of the bracket B. Another spiral spring 127, is coiled around the hub e of the bell crank lever F, one end of the wire which composes the spring being attached to the arm at of the bell crank lever, and the other end of the wire catching over the leg 3 of the bracket B. This spring tends to maintain the bell crank lever in the position shown in Fig. 4, that is, with one of its arms in contact with the leg 4 of the bracket B.

H is the hammer or striker, connected by a bent rod to one of the arms of the lever E. In Fig. 3, the lever G is shown in the act of being drawn in the direction of the arrow, the dog it having caught against the arm at of the bell crank lever F, and moved the latter so that its hammer has been drawn away from the edge of the bell C. The moment the lever G has been moved so far that the point of its spring dog it has pressed the corner of the arm m of the bell crank lever F, the latter is released, and, by the action of the spiral spring m, moved suddenly back,

arm 17? of the bell crank lever F, until it passes the end of'this arm, when it will fly out and assume a proper position for acting upon the inside of the arm m, when another ring of the bell is required.

It will be observed, that the spring f for operating the arm G is much stronger than the spring a for operating the bell crank lever F. The object of this is as follows; the spring a has no other duty to perform than to cause the recoil of the hammer, while the spring f has to cause the recoil not only of the lever G, but with it to move the long strap or cord, which is used in passenger railroad cars for operating this class of bells, or a long wire or chain, such as is used on steamboats and in hotels.

Independently of the weight of these appendages, they have to pass through guides or staples, causing, so much friction that some provision for their determined movement is necessary.

The bracket B is formed in the peculiar manner illustrated, in order to perform sev eral duties, independent of its service as a means of carrying the bell. The legs 1 and 2 of this bracket serve to limit the movement of the lever G, and the leg 1 also alfords a means of securing one end of the wire which forms the spiral spring 7". The leg 3 serves to receive the wire which forms one end of the spiral spring a, and the leg 4: as a base for the bell crank lever to strike against, when released from the dog h.

I lay no general claim to springs and levers, for operating the hammer of a bell, as many different arrangements of such devices have been used for that purpose. Neither do I claim broadly a system of levers arranged within or underneath a bell. But

I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,-

1. The lever G, its spring dog it, and spring f, in combination with the bell-crank lever F, its hammer H, and spring a, the

whole of the parts being arranged in respect is to each other, and to the bell C, substan tially as, and for the purpose set forth.

2. The bracket B wit-h its four legs, and. projections b for holding the bell, the said bracket being arranged in respect to and in combination with the levers G and F and their respective springs substantially in the manner specified.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HENRY BELFIELD. 

